Use of iodide crystals, especially silver iodide crystals, for promoting rainfall is known. The present invention is particularly concerned with a greatly improved and effective composition for and method of inducing rainfall or precipitation utilizing metallic iodide crystals.
Heretofore, precipitation, especially rainfall, could be induced by seeding moisture bearing atmospheric regions with metallic iodide crystals, especially silver iodide crystals, providing the temperature was within a certain range.
According to the prior art, it has been proposed to form solutions of silver iodide and ammonium iodide with water and acetone. Upon burning of such a solution in a special combustion device, the solvent is eliminated by combustion and the iodide crystals are formed in fine and distributed state.
Such crystals, when formed in a moisture bearing region of the atmosphere, which is on the order of about five degrees Centigrade below zero, will initiate the coalescing of the moisture present into water droplets which will be large enough to form raindrops, and precipitation is thereby initiated.
The condensation of the water droplets in the described manner induces further condensation and substantial rainfall can be induced in the described manner.
The object of the present invention is the provision of a composition and method which represents a substantial improvement over prior art practices as generally outlined above.